Nadiem Makarim Appeals Chromebook Corruption Verdict, Claims Numerous Irregularities Emerged After First-Instance Ruling
Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, has expressed optimism ahead of his appeal against the District Court verdict convicting him in the Chromebook procurement corruption case. Ahead of the appeal hearing, Nadiem believes that facts which emerged after the first-instance trial have strengthened his conviction that the case against him is riddled with irregularities.
Nadiem said his condition is improving, although he is still receiving treatment for the health problems he suffered after the verdict was read out. He said he is being treated both at home and in hospital.
In his statement, Nadiem expressed hope that the appeal judges would allow the trial facts to be revisited and would consider the appearance of new witnesses and experts.
“My great hope is very clear: that this appeal hearing gives us the opportunity to revisit several facts of the trial and also opens the door to new witnesses and expert witnesses who can offer a clearer perspective,” he said at the Jakarta High Court (5/8).
Nadiem believes various irregularities occurred during the first-instance trial, ranging from alleged ethics violations to an evidentiary process that he says did not proceed as it should have. He also said he is more optimistic following recent corrective steps taken within law enforcement institutions.
He welcomed the findings of the Judicial Commission, which, according to him, uncovered ethical violations in the trial of the case against him. For Nadiem, that finding provides one basis for the various objections his legal team has long raised.
On this occasion, Nadiem once again voiced a number of objections to the trial process. He claimed the state-loss audit was only issued after his arrest, while several pieces of evidence and witnesses considered important by his defence team were not accommodated in court.
According to him, one of the irregularities was the rejection of a witness from Google whom his side had proposed, even though, Nadiem said, the charges against him were closely linked to that technology company.
In addition, he highlighted the verdict handed down by the first-instance panel of judges. Nadiem compared the majority ruling with the dissenting opinion of one panel member, Judge Andi Saputra, which he said laid out the trial facts more completely.
He claimed the majority ruling contains a number of legal flaws, including the fact that he was found not to have enriched himself yet was still ordered to pay compensation. He also questioned the judges’ reasoning that Google profited, even though the company, in his view, was neither charged nor summoned as a witness by the public prosecutors.
On that basis, Nadiem said his legal team has reported suspected intimidation and interference against the judges to the Judicial Commission. He hopes the institution will thoroughly investigate the alleged ethical violations he says occurred during the trial process.
In closing, Nadiem asked the High Court judges to re-examine all the trial facts comprehensively. He hopes the appeal judges can deliver a verdict that, in his view, reflects justice.
Previously, the Jakarta Central District Court sentenced Nadiem to 10 years in prison, a fine of Rp1 billion with a subsidiary penalty of 190 days’ imprisonment, and ordered him to pay Rp809 billion in compensation. Should the compensation go unpaid, the penalty would be replaced by a further five years’ imprisonment.
The judges found Nadiem guilty of violating Article 604 in conjunction with Article 18 of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code (KUHP).